Religious leaders of Azerbaijan appealed to world religious leaders and parliaments, UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, OIC, European Court of Human Rights in connection with the 27th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

Axar.az reports that the statement was signed by Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, Archbishop Alexander of Baku and Azerbaijan, the head of the Caucasian Muslims Office, Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan and Head of the Community of Mountain Jews in Azerbaijan Melih Yevdayev.

The statement says:

"Expressing the will and the feelings of millions of the people of Azerbaijan, on the eve of the 27th commemoration of the Genocide we appeal to the World Community, regardless of the religious, language, race or ethnic identity," the statement says.

It is a historical fact that over the night from 25th to 26th of February, 1992, thousands of unarmed and defenceless peaceful people of Khojaly were unexpectedly and brutally attacked by Armenian aggressors. 613 civilians were murdered with exceptional cruelty, with no mercy even to children, elderly people and pregnant women. As a result, Khojaly was wiped out of the ground, while 150 people were missing, 1,275 civilians captured and severely tortured, the unthinkable atrocity was committed on the bodies of brutally murdered people.

Unfortunately, despite it has been over 27 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolutions calling for the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian invaders from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, they did not obey till today, while the Armenian terrorists remain unpunished for the crimes they have committed. In its turn, such impunity provokes a recurrence of new crimes.

According to international law, genocide is one of the most serious crimes against peace and humanity. As a matter of a fact, the Khojaly tragedy is considered the same as the crimes against humanity, such as Holocaust, Hernika and Khatyn genocide.

Crimes, such as violence, terrorism and extremism in today’s world are based on worrying tendencies such as double standards, racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and Islamophobia by some states, organizations and religious leaders on approach to the problems. If such massacres, as well as Khojali tragedy committed as a result of such approach, are not assessed, it will pave the way to new human crimes, genocides, extremism and separatism in different parts of the world. It is a great regret that some states do their best to recognize false genocide allegations, but not real historical genocides. We are worried about the tendencies that serve unfair claims on the events that are not based on historical facts in the international arena. Such fanaticism can never be accepted!

We, the Religious Leaders of da different faith, keep the dear memory of all people killed in Karabakh, the integral part of our homeland Azerbaijan, as well as in the town of Khojaly, and wish Peace, Prosperity and Fortune to all the People of the World," the statement says. "Each of us, we have a sacred duty before the Lord and the Mankind to achieve the Triumph of Justice. Therefore, once again we appeal to the World's Religious Leaders, the Parliaments and the International Organizations, to the European Court of Human Rights and call to stop the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, to give a principled political and legal assessment of the criminal acts, to punish the committers of the crimes and to recognize the Khojaly massacre as the Genocide.

"May the Great Creator help us in fair deeds!"